Repeat or Replace?
by BrookeBook25
Summary: What if there was a way to get info that would save the world? What if you could only get that information from the inside? Why is Fang willing to take the risk? Can the flock save him from himself? Who is the girl with black eyes? FAX! Post TFW, Pre MAX
1. Lost

So, hi everyone!

This is my first story. I actually posted it quite awhile ago with a few errors, so recently I decided to rewrite it a bit and post it again :)

Anyway~ Please review! I would love to know what you guys think, good or bad. Thanks for reading!

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**Max's POV**

Okay, I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you've never been flying. And I know, that's a hypocritical thing of me to say since I don't know you. You should really try it sometime. Everything about it is so freeing, the wind whooshing in your feathers, your hair getting thrown about and teased with. But the thing that makes it so great for me, is flying with my family. Though they aren't really my family by blood, they are the closes thing I've ever had. It's that one feeling of family that makes this moment so hard for me.

Because I'm flying away from the person I trust most in the world, my best friend and right hand man, Fang. Now, before you go all crazy fangirl on me, let me explain. It was all his idea actually, to be left behind. We had talked about someone getting in on the inside. (Actually he had talked, I had dismissed the idea.) Just one of us getting captured purposely so we could get more information on the company that's going to take down the world. That's their plan, anyway. But we are getting off subject here. So, back to how Fang decided it would be really awesome to go behind my back and stay behind. Okay, it went something like this...

~flashback~

"So, you think it's a good idea?" Fang asked after telling me his stupid, crazy idea.

"Yeah, let me think... No." I said flatly.

"Why? It's perfect. We get the information we need and no one gets hurt."

"No one gets hurt? Yeah, great idea! So, you go, and take Total, will you? Then you can have someone to fight on your death bed with! Peachy! Honestly Fang, what goes on in that pretty little head of yours?" I was mocking him. He was being an idiot. Did he seriously think I was willing leaving one of my flock with the most horrible people in the world? I think not.

"Max, just think about it. We fly over, I give myself up, say I can't handle the running anymore. I stay just long enough to get this," he holds up a small Z-drive. A perfect fit in his back pocket. "Into one of their main computers. Angel listens for my go and you guys break me out." I just stared at him, blankly. Why did he think this was such a good idea? I couldn't think of a better way to set ourselves up for trouble and he was parading around with balloons! Boys. I will never understand.

"No. I won't let you. That is worse then Iggy's idea to buy a beach house so he could work on his flirting skills! And I thought _that_ was the worst thing I had ever heard! Have you even thought about what could happen if you pissed them off? Without even trying! They could inject you with some crazy liquid and you might walk around singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for the rest of your life! Whether that be when I kill you or otherwise. Either way, no. Bad idea."

No way I was giving on this. I couldn't lose Fang. I couldn't lose any of them. I would never be able to live with myself. The flock was my whole world and I would do everything in my power to keep them out of danger. When did I get so Hearts and Roses? Maybe I'm falling ill...

"I think this is a good idea," Fang mumbled softly.

"Well, I don't. And unless someone died and crowned you leader, it's my opinion that counts." I folded my arms over my chest, the picture of authority.

Suddenly, Fang's eyes went emotionless. I hadn't noticed that while we had been arguing his mask had fallen slightly. And I felt guilt. Guilty because he was really just trying to help, take some of the load off my shoulders.

"Fang, I'm..." he cut me off. "Whatever. Forget it." And with that, he spun on his heel and was out my door in 1 second flat. With a sigh I flopped back on the futon that was in Ella's room.

~End flashback~

So, there you have it. See, at the time I thought he had just let it go. Realized it was a horrible idea and went on to greater thinking. If only I would have known he just became more determined from there.

**Maximum, you really shouldn't have left him there.**

_I know, Voice. That's kinda why we're going back tonight. Once all the Whitecoats escape to their caves. _

**Time is not on your side, Maximum**

_What do you mean?_ Against my will, feelings of panic strive to overtake me. Was Fang okay? Was he drugged? Hurt?

The Voice didn't respond. Maybe it was for the best, I reasoned as I tried to slow my speeding heart.

I signaled to the flock that we were going down. After 2 days at the school, us mutant Bird Kids were low on calories. We landed behind a few trees and walked to a Jack in the Box. The cashier almost had a stroke when I ordered. It would have been funny if I hadn't been so miserable. We ate in relative silence, all lost in our own thoughts.

Or, at least I thought it was our own thoughts. Until Angel looked up at me with her sweet, innocent eyes and said, "Max, why is that girl over there thinking about Fang?"

I turned my head sharply, and there, was a teenage girl about 15. And she was looking at me with eyes as black as Fang's T-shirts.

Only one thought passed my mind,_ holy crap.  
_

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_**Review ple_ase!_**_** :)**  
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	2. Stranger

Hey there! I know it has been a year or more since i updated this story, but I have been really busy with college classes! I hope to update more reguarly now that I am only taking one summer class.

Anyway~ I hope you like this chapter! Please review!

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**Max POV**

I think we stared at one another for about five minutes. Her looking into my brown eyes, me looking into her eerie raven black orbs. Finally, she blinked, and then looked away, back at the boy sitting across the booth from her. They shared a nod. He was probably 12. Rather then black eyes, he had bright, crystal-like blue ones.

Who were these people? And why was that strange girl thinking about Fang? "I think they are experiments like us, Max. They aren't here to hurt us. They are here to help! They have the information Fang was talking about!" Angel told me excitedly. Great. That's just what I need, more help. Wonderful. But there was also a big part of me that didn't believe their thoughts. If they were really mutants, why were they sitting calmly at their local Jack in the Box? Yeah, no, I don't like this.

I tapped Iggy twice on the back of the hand. A signal that meant "Your in charge. If anything happens, get out." I swung my legs over the edge of the hard seat typical in the fast food industry and took a few steps toward the table with the 2 strange kids at it. When I looked to where the girl should have been, they were both gone.

Okay, what the hell? I spun my head, doing a quick 360 of the restaurant. They were nowhere to be found. Just a couple blonde girls in the corner giggling, probably about how some idiot jock cheat on his girlfriend with one of them. Besides them, there was only a guy with black hair waiting by the counter for his order. That brought back fresh pain. Black hair = Fang. Fang was gone. There was no time to spend chasing Crazy Devil Girl and her Pond Water Eyes little minion!

Frustrated with myself, I turned back to the flock, who were all looking at me funny. "What?"

"Nothing," they all said together. I lifted an eyebrow at them but decided to let it go. It probably wasn't worth the trouble anyway. "Whatever. Lets hit the skies. We have places to go, people to knock out." They all cracked a smile at that one. I was glad they could still be somewhat happy even though it felt like there was this empty hole were Fang should have been. What can you do? At this point, nothing. So, as much as it killed me, we couldn't just fly back there and steal Fang back. We were all dead on our wings. Get it? Dead on our wings? I said wings 'cause we have... Never mind.

The sky was just fading from orange to navy when we stepped back out into the chilly February air and took off. "Do you guys want to stay in a hotel tonight? There is one half a mile up at 11 o' clock!" I shouted over the wind for Iggy. Since he can't actually _see _where we are going. In reply I reserved excited nodes and a "Yes! Please," from Nudge. Maybe we should have touched down sooner...

As we rocketed down toward the earth I thought about how blind I was. How could I have lived with Fang 2 weeks after our fight and not noticed that he was different? I wanted to kick myself in the wing. I wanted to punch a Flyboy! But mostly I wanted to punch Fang for making me worry so much. And he said I was a pain. I actually started laughing at that memory. I must have looked like an escape from some Crazy Farm. Our second kiss. And I had run away again, then just a few short days later he began spending all his precious time with Dr. Amazing and part of me had wished I hadn't flown away...

I pushed that thought from my mind. Now wasn't the time. We landed soundlessly behind a couple of dumpsters. After a quick head count, we were off to get a room.

The girl working the counter looked about 25 and reminded me of someone. Though I couldn't think of who when half my mind wasn't on the present.

~Flashback~

The day after mine and Fang's fight was slow. Gazzy helped Iggy make cookies from a recipe my mom had given them. And let me tell you, those were the best cookies I had ever eaten! I just hopped I wasn't going to blow up. Angel and Nudge did Total's hair in what he called Sanjaya (**A/N that is how you spell it. I checked!) **Style. When I asked what he was referring to, he just rolled his little dog eyes and muttered something unkind. Whatever.

I hadn't seen Fang all day so I decided to go make sure he was okay. Call me paranoid but I've been Duck Taped and Replaced before, so paranoia wins. I knocked on his door and without waiting for an answer, opened it.

There he was, on his laptop. "Hey. Soothing the world with your gentle words of wisdom, again?" Fang jerked his head up but said nothing. "Did you sleep last night?" I asked. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his bed was made the way my mom does it.

"No," he was looking back at his computer.

"What were you doing? Flirting with the fangirls?"

"No. Research." Two whole worlds. Awesome (insert sarcasm)!

"Research on what?" I sat down on the back corner of his bed, facing Fang.

"Just stuff on Itex," he closed the lid of his laptop and set it aside.

"Find anything I need to know about? Are they advertising now? I can just see the billboard, 'Join Us! Become One With the Dark Side' written in big letters and under that a maze with kids in it and a Chocolate Chip cookie at the end. And an 800 number, of course." Fang just shook his head, but there was a small smile playing on his lips.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven? For yesterday?"

"Forgiven for what, exactly? For taking my can of Pepsi when we were 11? Yeah, I'm feeling generous today, so sure. I forgive you."

I smiled at the memory. We had been out flying, just Fang and me. It had been some of the most fun I've ever had! The down side was that it had been about 101 degrees outside. When we got back the house had been empty. Jeb had taken the kids for a walk or something. Fang and I ran to the refrigerator to find it empty of all liquid but one lone can of Pepsi. We fought over it till Fang pined me down long enough to open it and take a quick drink. I had used his distraction to flip him over and grab the Soda. In the end, it spilled all over our new shoes. But it had been worth it. That's one of the few good memories I have that doesn't end badly.

"Oh! Thank God! You know, I've lost a few nights' sleep over the guilt. Thanks so much for releasing me." Sarcasm dripped from me words but Fang just smiled. "No problem. I'm always here for you, Max." He turned serious, his eyes soft. His way of showing me he really meant what he said. "Even if I ever have to leave, I will always be there." What? What was he talking about?

"What do you mean, leave? Are you planning a vacation?" Fang's face turned joking, again. "Yeah, I was thinking, you know the Fall Fashion shows are coming up and-" I hit him upside the head with a pillow that had been on the floor. "And you want to go because you want to prove to the world that white is not the new black?"

"Am I that obvious?"

We continued like that for about half an hour. Just backhanding and tossing pillows at one another. Once we were both out of breath, we lay on Fang's bed, side by side. Not talking, not touching, just being. It was nice. Just to listen to him breathing. I turned on my side, "Fang, I'm hungry."

He looked at me, "So am I. Last one to the kitchen eats your cooking!" Fang yelled jumping from the bed and rushing down the stairs.

"No way!" I shouted right on his heels.

~End Flashback~

I missed him. And I couldn't help wondering if I would ever see him again...

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Please review! :)


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